Tumor Metastasis

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease of rapidly dividing cells with multiple mechanisms of survival. In one such survival mechanism, cancerous cells metastasize to a location distal from the original tumor. The complex process of metastasis often requires a cell to undergo multiple transformative events. First, a cancerous cell must break down the extracellular matrix and break contacts with adjacent cells to migrate from the original tumor through a blood or lymphatic vessel wall. The cancerous cell then circulates through the bloodstream, adheres to the vessel wall at a distal location, and migrates through the blood vessel again. Ultimately, the metastatic cell establishes a new site for growth, forming a secondary tumor. Tumor metastases are typically found first in the lymph nodes near the primary tumor, and only later at other distal locations. Metastatic tumors often prove difficult to treat because they may continually metastasize to multiple locations. New metastatic mechanisms are continually being discovered. For example, recent studies have identified common markers on circulating tumor cells, which may allow for their characterization and provide further insights in tumor metastasis. ...

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Cancer is a heterogeneous disease of rapidly dividing cells with multiple mechanisms of survival. In one such survival mechanism, cancerous cells metastasize to a location distal from the original tumor. The complex process of metastasis often requires a cell to undergo multiple transformative events. First, a cancerous cell must break down the extracellular matrix and break contacts with adjacent cells to migrate from the original tumor through a blood or lymphatic vessel wall. The cancerous cell then circulates through the bloodstream, adheres to the vessel wall at a distal location, and migrates through the blood vessel again. Ultimately, the metastatic cell establishes a new site for growth, forming a secondary tumor. Tumor metastases are typically found first in the lymph nodes near the primary tumor, and only later at other distal locations. Metastatic tumors often prove difficult to treat because they may continually metastasize to multiple locations. New metastatic mechanisms are continually being discovered. For example, recent studies have identified common markers on circulating tumor cells, which may allow for their characterization and provide further insights in tumor metastasis.